FAQs
Q – Is the person I am talking to really a Doctor, not some TV “Doctor”, or just calling themselves one?
A – Yes, both Dr Dan and Dr John have up to date PhDs in Energy & Sustainable Development from De Montfort University Leicester. A copy of the award notification is available on the downloads section of this website under the qualifications section. In there you will find copies of the certifications, confirmation documents from De Montfort University, CIBSE certification for Chartered Engineer status and other industry related certifications.
Q – How do I know I can trust you?
A – Dr Dan and Dr John guarantee to be completely independent and are have no competing interests nor receive payment from any other source regarding this consultation service. Therefore, they have no motives other than to provide the best personal and bespoke service for your circumstance. As practising Doctors, university research fellows and as a Chartered Engineer, they have codes of conduct that they must adhere to in terms of honesty and integrity. There is no upside for them in not providing accurate, honest and best advice based off the information you provide.
Q – Are they truly unbiased regarding the advice they give?
A – Yes, since they have no personal further benefit from the advice provided (you have already paid for the consultation and they are not selling any products nor installation services) there is no reason why they should not give you the best advice for your benefit.
Q – Do they have enough experience of the real world or is it just an academic perspective?
Dr John has over 3 decades of real-world experience working with home-owners and energy. He is an actively licensed Chartered Building Services Engineer with a specialty bias to solar PV and energy systems, this license is annually reviewed by CIBSE, and he still designs/surveys for home energy systems in his local area. He keeps up to date with current practice by still actually doing the job, not just researching about it as a scientist.
Dr Dan has broad daily experience in sustainability, specifically in enacting it in terms of local governance challenges, policy issues, grid connectivity modelling and power usage. Having worked for 15 years now in the broader sustainability research area he has a wide-ranging working knowledge that he can leverage for your best benefit.
Q – How do I know you are value for money?
A – With anything value is perceived by the customer. What we would say is twofold:
With the average cost of a usefully sized solar and battery system, or air source heat pump being over £10k each, paying £99-149 to get good independent advice is literally often less than 1% of your proposed spend on the product. We feel this is good value.
Having the knowledge and confidence to choose the right size system, accessories and hardware that suits you when you look for quotes means that you are so much less likely to be over-specified or under-designed. This can literally save you £1,000’s in the initial purchase price and can also help you make £1,000’s in terms of savings or income during the system’s lifespan. We feel this is good value.
Q – Do I get any documents to keep for myself?
A – You will receive:
A copy of a form used in the meeting which records specifically:
What your questions are.
Any notes made regarding the topics raised.
A summary answer section that addresses the questions in brief. These may include specific “next steps” instructions.
Five useful links to government and industry leading product support guides and websites.
A copy of the full recording of the meeting – you are asked at the start if you would like a copy of the meeting. – this can provide context to the summary answers from the meetings form.
A copy of a Which? Trusted Trader guide as to what to look for in an installer.
A copy of The Energy Saving Trust’s (Home Energy Scotland) heat pump installation checklist
The MCS Heat Pump Guide
A guide to using an independent information hub that can put you in touch with local installers.
Q – What topics can I ask for help with?
A – Pretty much anything regarding Sustainable Development and Energy related to a household or community setting. In John’s case this may even include:
Asking him to review 3 quotes that you have received.
Discuss hardware quality, suitability and even value for your situation relating to solar, battery and ASHP systems.
For solar and battery systems he could measure your property online, design a system based on available data and give you a current market value pricing for it (please note he is not going to give you a quote). If you want this service please have your consumption information at hand.
The latter service means that you can go to market knowing a realistic price that you should be expecting to be quoted – any major variance would need justifying.
Q – What do I get out of a consultation?
A – Apart from the chance to ask what you want, get completely unbiased answers and potentially save or earn £1,000’s compared to without one, you should get peace of mind. You can move forward with (or rule out) whatever project it was that brought you to Home Energy Doctors now that you are more informed. Uncertainty prevents decision making when you are talking in the £1000’s and Dr Dan & Dr John can help remove it.
To book a consultation and improve your peace of mind please click here: